Sword and Sorcery Jump By Worm_Anon

Have you heard the stories Jumper? Tales of lands where man was young even as the world was already old. Stories of Gods, demons, and stranger things. Legends wrought in blood, steel, and fire by men who strode the world to cleave their mark into the merciless passage of time. You shall be going to these ancient lands Jumper. From the barren stone and sand civilizations ever drag themselves forward from barbaric beginnings on the backs of warriors and kings. Thieves glide through shadows to plunder vast and forgotten vaults. Sorcerers reach beyond the veil into alien dimensions to seize power from eldritch beings. This is an age of myth and legend. Where the strength of a man’s arm, the sweat of his brow, and the roar of his heart is all it takes to seize whatever it is he may desire. A story of great passion and glory is yours for the taking.

Here is 1000cp to wrest the beginning of your story from the curse of banality fate would condemn most of your kind to. Beyond this you must make your own way. I eagerly await just what story shall be wrought by your passing Jumper. Do not disappoint me.

Location There are many storied locales that may serve as the beginning of your tale. Roll 1d8 to see where it is that you begin. You may pay 50cp to deny the whims of fate and choose for yourself.

1. The Kingdom in the Crescent: A city state that has laid claim to a long line of kings ever since a great warrior seized it’s fertile lands by strength of arms. His line has been a long and storied one, and the populace can claim little grievance against their rule. Out of all the vast and dangerous expanse of this world it is perhaps the most relatively peaceful and stable nation to be found. Do not let this fool you though. The arts of sorcery are still aimed against it in arcane machinations, rivals vie for its land and wealth with armies, and treachery lurks in the halls of nobles and merchants. Nevertheless, perhaps it is the perfect calm before the storm your will might bring.

2. The Land of Steel: Far to the north live a hardy and rugged people who have eked out their existence in no small part to their dual mastery of both the warrior arts and the smithing of metal. Roving in tribes or huddled in small villages the secret of steel is the foundation of existence in their harsh world. This mastery however brings about a dark envy in the hearts of many. Many now ride and ravage these lands to pillage its spoils and secrets. These people are too scattered and too few to truly endure such assaults for long, and monstrous beasts tend to claim those few men who do not succumb to the harsh environment. Perhaps a hero could unite them into a force that could drive the invaders from their ancestral homes.

3. Blood Stained Dunes: A desert land inhabited by countless merchant lords and noble houses. The many city states here are marked by the richness of the bazaars and the blood of mercenaries and raiders. Beyond the lush Oasis and valleys where men have claimed what scarce bounty is to be found the deserts are scorching wastes in the day and cold alien vistas in the night. Strange spirits and demons dwell in the desert winds, and the inscrutable tides of fate are strong. Beware the chittering of the desert insects. For stories tell that their cacophony heralds a mad sorcerer who walks the dark. The stars are the tapestry of fate, and here their cold gaze will follow you wherever you go.

4. Savage Lands: Lush and humid jungles and hot plains are home to great reptilian beasts that were forgotten by time itself. A primitive but proud and strong race of people roam this region. With bronze weapons and little armor they hunt, kill, live and die with a wild if pure abandon. The creatures of this land will forgive no weakness and neither will they, yet their hearts burn hotter then any other. There is ample opportunity to find a place among these people. Beware however that not even this unspoiled land is free from sorcery, demons, and forgotten ruins.

5. The Blasted Wastes: Miles of ash choked sand and cracked stone are the hallmark of this living hell. What blasphemous life is able to survive in this damned place are nightmares wrought in flesh, thirsting for the blood and agony of any fool unlucky enough to find themselves here. Old tales speak of a shattered tower filled with ancient relics and arcane power to be found somewhere in the heart of this land. Perhaps those tales are true, and a brave man might find almost endless dark spoils. Or perhaps nothing but a fool's death.

6. Ancient Seas: You awake to the smell of sea spray and the call of marine birds. Whether it is an island nation or some great harbor bustling with trade you begin next to the lifeblood of the seas. Pirate lords and merchant vessels sail to claim exotic wares in one way or the other. Meanwhile great monsters lurk in the deep ready to snatch the unwary or unlucky, and strange magicks are worked on foreboding isles that sailors speak of in hushed and fearful tones.

7. Bones of the Earth: Deep beneath the surface world and the reach of the sun lie great twisting caverns sprawling like the very veins of the earth itself. The strangest of creatures and races claim these places as home. What little light is to be found comes from strangely glowing fungus or rivers and streams of the earth's hot blood seeping up. Tunnels of poison gas, strange white spiders that open a man's third eye when eaten, horrid multi-limbed and hungry beasts, and exotic material riches lie within. A way to the surface might be found in time should a man have the will to search, but most would languish in these halls forever denied to touch of the sun.

8. Free Choice: How Strange wanderer. It seems fate is enamored with you. You may choose any of the above starting locations for free, and will begin in an optimal position to begin your adventures. I would not let this fortune lull you into complacency. Men have died to less.

Origins Where you are means very little compared to who you are. Roll 2d8+20 to determine your age. Your gender may either remain the same or be changed for no additional cost. This world cares more for your will and skill then the gender of your birth. You may pay 50cp to choose any age instead.

Drop-In: How admirable. You are who you have always been, with no new life in this world or memories to either aid or hinder you. Yet you aren’t completely unchanged. You seem to burn brighter and live more fully then any other man. Even in a world of great warrior-kings and wrathful gods you stand out as something grander then mere mortal man. Or perhaps you have now merely opened your eyes. Regardless we shall see what unfolds.

Warrior (50cp): The roar of blood in your veins and the might of your arm. The world is filled with foes and battles aplenty, all of whom shall know what it means to face your steel. Already many men have found themselves felled before your might, or fled in terror of your unfettered wrath. Man, beast, or demon it matters not. They shall all fall when your sword sings. The land is vast and it’s spoils endless. You need only stride forth and conquer.

Thief (50cp): Glory and battle? Ha! Let the brutes spill blood and bleed in turn. You have been blessed with the gifts of agility, wit, and guile. The vaults of kings or sorcerers and the wealth of merchants are yours to plunder. Wealth shall certainly be yours, the only question is if your adventures shall bring you beyond the profession of a thief and into the annals of legend.

Sorcerer/Sorceress (50cp): Called by many names. Sorcerer, wizard, magi, witch, enchantress, necromancer. You have plumbed ancient and arcane secrets and have wrested powers from the grasp of realms beyond the ken of normal men. You treat with dangerous forces alongside spirits, demons, and stranger still. Should your wisdom not be eclipsed by your ambition you may yet know even greater power. Falter though, and you may find yourself destroyed more thoroughly then any could imagine.

Perks Hero or villain the stories are defined by the gifts and traits that eclipse that of their fellow man. The gifts below will give you potential for greatness indeed, should you have the will to chase it. Discounted perks are half off, and free perks cost nothing to purchase.

To Truly Live (100cp, Discount Drop-In): Let others be wracked by existential dread and the petty self-doubt that plague lesser men. You possess a heart that burns brighter and more free then any flame, yet not uncontrolled. Sights seem clearer, scents more rich, and flavors more vivid. It is like the mental and emotional fog that rests upon the minds and hearts of others has been banished from you to leave the world open. You know who you are and are unfettered in being true to yourself. This seemingly superhuman vibrancy will be obvious to others whenever you allow it. No one can look upon you thus and not see that while others exist, you truly live.

A Well Traveled Road (100cp, Discount Drop-In): There are a thousand tricks and skills that might see a wanderer safely and comfortably to his destination, and you know them all. You find that you can always keep your belonging and possessions in good shape and stored comfortably as possible for ease of travel. You can gauge the coming weather with nothing more than a glance at the sky and a sniff of the air, tell which roads are safer merely from the feel of them beneath your feet, and even how to charm and ingratiate yourself with other passing travelers for a bit of company or information that might keep you one step ahead of whatever you might run into. More inexplicably you seem to always make excellent time when you travel, shaving off hours or days that others would consider necessary for the trip, and even the longest stretches of travel are relaxing and fulfilling rather than wearying. The world is vast, and should you keep to your feet you could see more than most will ever imagine.

Born to be Mighty (100cp, Free Warrior): The simplest and most primal of all blessings that might elevate one above the common man. Perhaps from a quirk of birth, a blessing from the gods, or merely the whim of fate you possess a body overflowing with strength and vitality. Naturally hale, hearty, and strong you will find that should you actually push yourself your might could dwarf even those who would claim to be your peers. Let the thieves skulk in darkness and the peasants cower in fear of their own weakness. You stand strong and proud.

The Will to Live (100cp, Discount Warrior): The world will push you mercilessly like it has all others before you. Why would you let it force you to kneel before it. You possess an incredible willpower, especially in regards to enduring harsh conditions and circumstances. Pain that would drive other warriors to their knees will just make you fight harder for another precious day of life, and even the privations of blistering heat, bone chilling cold, hunger, and thirst you can endure where other men would surrender. You are not some dumb animal to die unheard and unsung. Death may take you one day, but it will have cause to remember the struggle it took to claim you.

The Trade of Thieves (100cp, Free Thief): You learned the tricks of your trade very early. You mastered them not long after. You’ve the quick and nimble fingers to filch gold from the purses of wealthy men, the quiet stride to slip through shadows unseen and unheard, and the keen senses to pick out the best opportunities. Left to the life of a simple street thief you’d be the best, but I do hope you have the ambition to prove yourself more than just another cut-purse.

The Charm of Rogues (100cp, Discount Thief): Maybe it’s the wry smile you give, unapologetic of your trade but filled with good humor. Maybe it’s the way you seem to flaunt the rules of society while somehow never making it personal. Either way you have a preternatural ability to be charming and likable almost because of your roguish nature rather than in spite of it. You find it easy to leverage people’s reactions to your larceny and similar exploits into something positive. Depending on who they are this might just be a small and grudging respect, like from the king for the skill it took to ransack his vaults right under his nose, but even that can be a useful tool for the clever.

One of the Wise (100cp, Free Sorcerer/Sorceress): The warriors trade blood and sweat for the petty glory to be gained from the thrashing of beasts. Let them sneer. You possess the most dangerous faculty man has ever known. That of the mind, and insight. Your mind is innately suited to peering beyond the common sense world of men into the folds and crevices hidden within the world. A philosopher, mathematician, sorcerer, and a thousand more names they may whisper in hushed tones. They will fear you. For you can see what they do not.

A Scholar’s Treasure (100cp, Discount Sorcerer/Sorceress): Glittering gold, shining jewels, and wrought art that can either make men weep at it’s beauty or buy a king’s ransom. They are such worthless things before what lies beneath the musty smells and dust of old parchment and vellum scrolls. You have extraordinary luck in acquiring scrolls, books, and texts or recorded knowledge of all kinds. Marketplaces always seem to have one door that leads to an old collector’s abode, dungeons have texts in forgotten tongues left there by long dead priests, and a jingling purse can always net you at least one more scroll as long as there are people trading wares. Gold has it’s uses, but knowledge makes even kings look like paupers.

Call to Greatness (300cp, Discount Drop-In): As a great tree emerges from the tiniest of seeds so too does greatness emerge from simple circumstance. At all times you can choose to listen to your heart and let it guide you to the opportunity for greatness. This is no great protection or blessing of fate. Should your skill, will, or strength be insufficient such opportunities can destroy you just as easily if not more so then they may exalt you. But deep down you can always feel the chance. Sometimes that is enough traveler. Will you heed the call?

Lost and Forgotten (300cp, Discount Drop-In): No matter how much of the map they might fill in, the world will always have its uncharted reaches and it’s mysteries. No matter where you go you can let this perk take effect, stumbling upon lost treasures, esoteric happenings, long forgotten history, and much more. Every world is far vaster and mysterious than anybody could imagine. Only by looking can you discover just what waits for you in the far corners of the world.

Strength of Steel (300cp, Discount Warrior): Let the sorcerers conjure strange magick and spirits. You shall meet the world with steel in hand and a battle cry resounding from your lips. All the tools of the warriors of old seem to be as much a part of you as a lion’s claws. Armor and shields rest lightly upon your form, weapons seem to dance in your hands almost of their own accord. Among the warriors of this land you stand as a fierce figure of incredible skill. Your talent is great, and should you have the will to rise above the common masses of sell-swords and bloodied thugs one day you might be the greatest warrior these lands have ever seen.

A Cry of Thunder (300cp, Discount Warrior): You are no silver tongued lie-smith. Nor are you some simpering merchant who seeks to ensnare the purses of others with honeyed words. One should not smother the pure flame of their heart with their tongue, and nowhere is this more true than in battle. You can release a battle cry that can carry the full force of your heart long and loud clear to the horizon over the din of any battle or storm. This cry skips the grand speeches needed by kings to reach directly to the core of a man’s being. Your allies will hear you and their hearts will burn bright and brave with will and fire. Your enemies will be shaken with fear and doubt as the full force of your fury and personality falls upon them unabashed. Even should the day be all but lost your roar might turn the tide. Assuming your charisma and will have the force necessary to truly move the hearts of men, one day poets might speak of how your battle cry heralded the death of armies, and the glory of victory.

Quick and Clever (300cp, Discount Thief): Every thief finds fortune a fickle mistress. But she is most enamored with those who find even her crueler affections merely another days work. You’re quick and fleet of foot, able to leap and run with an effortless grace that leaves watchers comparing you to a falcon on the wind. Even swifter then your feet are your wits. You can think and react with an almost prescient cleverness. Rolling with the punches and finding your feet is naught but reflex. May the poor fools trying to catch you find solace from their failure in wine, for it would be easier to grasp smoke.

For Want of a Nail (300cp, Discount Thief): Too many men waste their energy and efforts in grand gestures when such energy would be better served elsewhere. You possess the keen and discerning eye to spot the simple and clever solutions to problems where others tend to waste time and all too often lives to no discernible effect. You might throw open the doors of a fortress that armies have shattered themselves against to no avail with naught but a rope, an old hunters dagger, a candle, a half filled wine-skin, and some quick and clever movements to put yourself in position. You’d most likely still have enough wine left to toast your victory as well when all was said and done. A Thief thrives when he sees the clever path, and it is a skill that will serve you well should you cultivate it. Just hope your cleverness doesn’t run out one day.

To Treat With Spirits (300cp, Discount Sorcerer/Sorceress): Of what use is the ability to realize the veil is there if you cannot reach beyond it. You possess that most basic of arcane tricks. You may beckon forth spirits to converse with. These beings natures are as varied and unique as a man can imagine, and even more so. Still, beings such as they may teach you of the world and places beyond. From arcane secrets, to doors that open only when a desert snake sheds it's skin beneath a desert rain, to insights a human mind would never come to on it's own. The types and strength of spirits you can call forth will grow as you gain in skill and power. But be warned sorcerer. The spirits you may summon may not all be friendly, and should your skill, strength, and above all sense fall short you may find yourself imperiled greatly. You would need to be mighty indeed to treat with gods without being destroyed. But even lesser conjurers may reap the spoils of this talent. A man's place in the world can often be decided by the company he keeps after all.

The Arcane Craft (300cp, Discount Sorcerer/Sorceress): As much as you might look down upon brutes and barbarians who know only how to break bone and spill blood, you and the warriors of this land have one thing in common. You require the tools of your trade. You know all the methods and ways to bind arcane and mysterious forces into physical vessels. Rings, staves, talismans, warded stone towers, and even more. These items allow the channeling of such forces to work your will, capturing, bending, and shaping the worlds invisible tides to enable works of sorcery and occult splendor. The strength of these items and their effects rely on your skill, knowledge, and power. Of course should you yourself be a font of such forces from your varied lives then you would be surely capable of building the focuses and talismans to augment and amplify your power. The world rewards men for diligent labor. It would behoove you to refine this art to get everything you can out of it. This also includes the skill to use such items, even those not made by your hand should you have the ability to reveal their secrets.

The Heart of Man (600cp, Discount Drop-In): How many roads have you walked down only to continue on. The dust of the road has seen you through many places traveler. An experience which seems to have left it's mark upon you. You may look upon societies and cultures with both the innate familiarity of their people, and the keen eye of an outsider. Much greater then the sum of its parts, this skill lets you gaze upon them and see all the virtues, flaws, strengths, and weaknesses of such things. More keenly this allows you to put such things in perspective with yourself. To see who you are in relation to those around you and accept that influence which is good, and to reject that which would lessen you. Look and learn before you continue on wanderer. For you gaze upon humanity with new eyes.

The Making of Myth (600cp, Discount Drop-In): We can be so much more than we let ourselves. Isn’t it time that you cast aside the simpering mundanity that lies upon so many of mankind. You can give your actions and deeds the weight of myth behind them. This will not only drive you to push your limits and achieve great things, but will cause your actions to be told and spread like wildfire everywhere there are people to hear of them. Perhaps you are some great godlike being, or perhaps the secret to this is in the fact that you are but mortal. Regardless you will be remembered when much else has been long forgotten. In other worlds you may choose to have your exploits and previous adventures recorded in the form of ancient myths. These will be viewed through the same lens as other legends and epics. Your travels among the stars in your ship might be recounted in the likes of the Indian vimanas, your workings of technology and magic fogged over in the symbols and language of mythology. These legends will not be something widely known, but anybody who cares to study such things will eventually stumble upon them, and might just see one too many parallels with some grand figure who has recently entered into their life.

Rain of Steel (600cp, Discount Warrior): The sing of a broadsword as it parts the air, the whistle of an arrow, these are sounds sweeter then harps and lyres. You strike like lightning in battle, raining down blows faster then any other man might keep pace. Where one warrior might land one blow you will land five, and should you be surrounded you could almost duel each man at the same time such is your ferocity and swiftness. This speed sacrifices none of your strength or skill, cleaving bone and meat in twain with nary an eye-blink for your foes to realize what's happened. Perhaps one day traveler they might speak of you reaping men like wheat during the harvest.

By Might Divine (600cp, Discount Warrior): While yet flesh and blood a king is nonetheless something more. You possess the sheer gravity of presence and personality that leaves none in doubt that whether it be one of carved stone or immaterial glories your feet tread ever onward towards a throne. This presence seems to be amplified by your personal skill and strength. Your acts of glory and might leave others in awe, your victories win hearts and minds with wild abandon, and whatever virtues you may possess seem to burn brighter than even the sun where you tread. Whether it be by right of conquest, by the adoration of the masses, or simply the will of fate all who think to look will know that you are meant to be crowned. King, Queen, or merely a Champion, in some manner you will rule. You need merely grasp the world that awaits you.

Feet Like Wings (600cp, Discount Thief): While the heavens may be beyond the reach of all but the wings of birds you come closer than any other man. You possess an inhuman balance and agility that lets you run, spring, and practically dance where any other man would be plummeting screaming to his death merely from trying to stand. You can leap, climb, and run along the walls and roofs of ancient temples and sorcerer’s lairs, sprint across thin ropes, duck and dodge spears and spikes from ancient traps, and do it all with a smile on your face. It would be easier to believe that you actually could fly. Even the birds seem to look upon you with envy.

Whims of Fortune (600cp, Discount Thief): For all it's vagaries fortune nevertheless seems to adore you. Luck and fate shall guide the course of events with a subtle of all pervading hand that seems to steer you along the best path. A desperate leap that finds stable ground at the last moment, the slight turning of a knife to slip through a murderer's hand, even the glint in the night that reveals a long lost treasure. These things happen around you constantly like the comfort of a well worn cloak. All but forgotten, yet certainly felt. Fate may be fickle, but upon you it seems to smile.

To Call Forth (600cp, Discount Sorcerer/Sorceress): There are foul monsters and beasts in this world that leave mortal man plagued with terror for generations at their merest whisper. It is only fitting such fear should be yours to command. You know rituals and workings to either summon or create the most horrid and fiendish of creatures. From writhing tendril covered beings that scream madness into the minds of men to engines of muscle and sinew that scythe through steel with their jaws, to stranger still. With care and practice the monsters you might command could be fearsome indeed. Beware that you do not call up that which you cannot put down. Such mistakes are only made once.

Cast Aside This Vessel (600cp, Discount Sorcerer/Sorceress): How long have you reached beyond the realms of men and into forces that the ignorant prostrate themselves before and clamor of gods. Is it not only natural that you tear away the final veil that is your humanity. With an effort of will you can cast aside your mortal form in a transformation fueled by immense arcane power. The form you take is influenced by many things. Your nature, personal power, the essence of your soul, and much more. Regardless it is an avatar capable of tearing apart scores of lesser men and wielding strange abilities evocative of your magical arts. Perhaps you are a towering twelve foot warrior demon of fire and scorched granite, or a vast raptor made of cast fog and light whose concussive wing-beats blast the mind as well as the body. The nature and power of this form will change and increase as your own does, and retaking your mortal form requires several minutes to reverse the process.

Grandeur and Allure (400cp): Who would wish to partake in the spoils of this world without looking the part. Whether it be the bronzed and rippling muscle of a fierce warrior, the scented and seductive allure of an enchantress, or the roguish handsomeness of a thief your appearance and attractiveness has become absolutely awe-inspiring. You truly look like some grand man or woman that has stepped out of legend and into flesh. Whether you wish to never suffer from a cold bed or simply to look the part your visage alone is enough to have people spreading tales.

Gear The world is filled with riches and treasures that capture the imagination and leave stories of their own in their passing. Below you have a chance to acquire some of these artifacts, along with some useful if entirely mundane gear that may very well save your life. Choose wisely traveler. All items will return to you in some manner within at least 24 hours if lost or destroyed, with the specific circumstances being listed in their individual descriptions. If nothing is stated assume they simply reappear either in the warehouse or somewhere nearby you the next morning.

A Small Purse (50cp): A small purse filled with coins of silver and gold, as well as ruby red gems. This is a small fortune in these lands, for unlike some worlds these metals and precious stones aren’t bandied about by the truckload. There is enough here to last you for a great deal of time should you spend it frugally and wisely. Or perhaps you merely wish to fund a great bout of mirth and hedonism. Regardless there is a pleasant jingle to your belt when you walk now. Best be wary of thieves.

A Valued Steed (50cp): Whether it’s a tough and brave warhorse or a camel that could trek half the earth with you on it’s back without complaint, you possess some beast of burden to ease your travels. Exceptional for it’s kind but otherwise perfectly mundane. Do try not to get too attached, this land is an ever bloodthirsty one. Oh dear...you already named it.

A Wanderer's Cloak (100cp, Free Drop-In): A comfortable, stylish, yet simple traveling cloak designed to protect from both the hot sun, the thrashing sand, and the cold wind. While wearing it even the harshest natural elements seem at least bearable. Regardless of whatever happens to it you can always find it again, pristine and unblemished, by simply reaching for it among your possessions.

A Mighty Blade (100cp, Free Warrior): A weapon forged with the greatest skill this land can muster. There are no great enchantments upon it, and as of yet no stories tied to this blade. It shall never dull, chip, bend, or break, and will always find itself back to you in some manner or another. This may be any sort of ancient weapon that you prefer, whether that be a sword or spear, bow or hammer. While without some arcane power on your part it will always be mundane, you'll find that it slowly shifts to fit you better and decorate itself slightly in a manner evocative of your skills and victories.

A Thief's Satchel (100cp, Free Thief): A small satchel easily either slung over ones shoulder with a strap, or hung upon your waist. It is able to store the equivalent of a small rooms worth of items at any one time, producing whatever it is that you reach for within it into your grasp instantly. Items inside will never be harmed by the outside conditions such as sun or rain, stored safe and untouched. Whatever strange magic seems to grant it these abilities seems to have a strange and fickle sense of humor. You'll occasionally find small trinkets evocative of your adventures while carrying this appearing out of nowhere inside. Perhaps your satchel is merely fond of nostalgia. It shall always find it's way back to you upon the tides of fate, and its contents will similarly be protected from being pilfered by those who just so happen to find it.

An Occult Tome (100cp, Free Sorcerer/Sorceress): Or perhaps a scroll or some other written record. The form isn’t important. This tome contains the knowledge of the fundamentals of the occult arts and practices, giving you all you need to expand your arcane expertise without simply flying blind. Strangely the writing inside seems to shift as time goes on. Refining and expanding upon itself as your skills and knowledge in the mystic arts increase. As a safe and ever accurate repository of your occult knowledge this would be the ideal tool for the training of apprentices should you ever find yourself with the desire to pass on your skills.

A Simple Compass (200cp, Discount Drop-In): You’ll find many places in your adventures, it is only fitting that you possess a tool to find them once again. This simple if rugged compass will unfailingly point towards any location that you know of, having either seen or been there before. Even should it be some lost tower in the middle of a featureless and twisting wasteland, or an ancient door hidden beneath an old stone somewhere in the vast expanse of jungle that coats an entire continent you could find your way back unerringly. You’ll find you can always simply reach into a pocket or bag and retrieve this simple if useful tool, pristine and unharmed.

A Second Skin (200cp, Discount Warrior): Perhaps it is a finely wrought shirt of chain mail, a breastplate of gleaming bronze, or something else still. Regardless you have a piece or set of armor that not only rests lighter than a feather upon your body, but seems impossibly durable against all the claws and blades that seek to rend your form. Weapons that strike it seem to have a measure of their force turned back upon them. Possibly splintering hafts, chipping blades, or wrenching them from a wielder’s hand. This article will never hamper you in any manner, and will serve you well in these lands. Your lifeblood will be much harder to spill as long as you bear it.

A Swift Dagger (200cp, Discount Thief): Perhaps a simple knife or nearly a short sword in it’s own right. This small blade is quicker and sharper than any eagle’s talon. Most of all it is silent. Throats slit, and lifeblood spilt will never cause noise to reveal you, flowing through flesh like a moonbeam on greased silk. Whether in hand or thrown it also seems preternaturally good at striking the most vital spots on an enemy. Perhaps I was wrong. With a blade like this there is certainly cause to believe you are more of an assassin than a thief.

An Arcane Tool (200cp, Discount Sorcerer/Sorceress): Is it a staff of twining iron serpents, a ruby ring that burns red like fire and blood, or perhaps a dark amulet that seethes with whispers from voices long lost from the world? Something more than a trinket is in your grasp. Something a great many strange figures would kill for. It possesses some small unique ability that is either evocative of some prior mystical nature of yours, or something new from this land. Perhaps a staff that calls writhing serpents from the ground, a ring that incites blood lust and feeds on the emotions and violence that result to power your magick, an amulet that releases a fog that eats away at the minds of men like acid with mad voices, or something else. In addition it is a perfect if basic focus for your arts, meaning that you will never be without some way to channel your power. This may be purchased up to three times to receive multiple different artifacts.

A Loyal Steed (400cp, Discount Drop-In): Some sort of fantastical and great beast that is unfailingly loyal and incredibly dangerous. It will carry you at great speeds for days without tiring and will shred groups of hardened warriors when angered. It may possess a small collection of abilities appropriate for it’s nature, but nothing too out of hand. A manticore could fly and fire armor piercing spines from it’s tail, and a great lizard beast may be able to breath gouts of flesh melting fire. This steed does not count as a companion and cannot be meaningfully modified in any way beyond learning from training and experience, but it will always find itself to your side in seconds when you call. If slain you’ll have to wait 24 hours until you can call it again. This creature is preternaturally intelligent. It will understand the meaning behind your commands regardless of the form they take, and will often act on what you would wish without needing orders.

Shield of Might (400cp, Discount Warrior): A shield in the style and working of your preference, adorned like some storied artifact out of an old legend. This is more than just an affection however. This shield will never break nor suffer damage from any force or blow that lands upon it. While force might still reach you even through a block, the shield itself will be able to withstand anything that might be set against it. In addition it seems to fill your veins with fire and your nerves with lightning, invigorating you with greatly enhanced strength and swiftness to bring your wrath to bear on your enemies.

An Odd Ring (400cp, Discount Thief): A ring affected with several odd symbols that almost seem to dance across it in the right light. Bound within it are three minor Djinn who may be called forth to serve you and obey your commands. They are unfailingly loyal and will serve your interests to the best of their ability, but they are not the great Djinn of myth capable of warping reality with their will. They nevertheless can work minor magicks to aid you, spy upon your foes, travel swiftly and intangibly to work your will, and a great variety of small if nevertheless incredibly valuable tricks and skills. If somehow destroyed a Djinn will recover within the ring 24 hours later.

An Arcane Chamber (400cp, Discount Sorcerer): A ritual chamber that is perfectly shaped and aspected towards your own individual essence. It is the perfect site for occult workings that fall in line with your identity, soul, and magical preferences. It is large enough to house yourself and forty additional participants with room to spare, and contains a decent amount of storage space for the reagents and tools your art might require. While within this world it is a part of some abode of yours, whether that be a tower, an old tomb, or some other lair. Post-Jump this shall be accessible through a door in your warehouse, and may be briefly called into being in the outer world with a simple ritual for magical purposes. Whether it be a bone riddled crypt where talking skulls echo your incantations or a temple of beautiful carved stone to channel the power of your faith and virtue it matters not. Here you shall work wonders.

A Map of Long Lost Glories (600cp, Discount Drop-In): A deceptively simple if incredibly finely sketched map bound in a leather carrying case. As to what it is a map to, that very much depends. It’s surface will shift and reshape itself to show you a highly detailed and perfectly accurate map of the world you are on, individual regions, cities, or other areas. It even can shift to show you things such as the lay of the land, including political and social boundaries that otherwise would be lost to most men. The map seems to know exactly what you wish to see when opened, even more-so than you yourself do. A quick glance in the morning might reveal the shifting borders and markings of an armies advance that would have left you blindsided, alerting you to the danger. More interestingly by willing it so the map will almost shiver and clear itself, only to show markings that will always lead you to ancient ruins and other exotic locales filled with spoils and danger in equal measure. These places can be as grand and alien as any in this world, even if you’ve moved on to more mundane pastures. Strangely once you leave they seem to vanish, as if they never were. Perhaps the map does more than simply guide at times. Such locales appropriate to the world in question can be revealed too, and as natural parts of that world will remain. Regardless each and every one is promised to be a grand adventure. Do try not to lose yourself in a manner that this map cannot help you with.

A Weight Upon the Brow (600cp, Discount Warrior): While at first this item is a mere leather band about your head, to overlook it for it’s simplicity would be just the same as overlooking you for being another mere sell sword, and for much the same reasons. As time goes by and you continue on your personal story you’ll find it changing. You might wake to find it’s covered in decorative leather etching one day, only later to wake and find it’s now an adorned metal circlet. It shall continue to change as you grow in glory, charisma, and strength, shifting in time into the perfect crown or other adornment to perfectly encapsulate your nature and legend. Regardless when wearing this article your force of personality, presence, and the awe or terror you inspire are magnified by an amount roughly equal to just how far this item has changed from being in your presence. Eventually a mere look from you might quell the hearts of an entire host of lessor men, even should you stand alone and unarmed. The throne you sit on might be in question, the symbol of your will is not. Indestructible and incapable of being lost by any means, it shall only be separated from you if you choose to put it away for a time. You may merely will it to appear on your brow and it shall appear, for the crown and king are one.

A Brass Prison (600cp, Discount Thief): Oh dear. How many things have you pilfered from ancient desert traders wanderer? This simple desert lamp is pristine and well crafted if otherwise nothing special to the eyes. Stranger senses however might note that some grand occult working was woven into this item. With naught but the focusing of your will you can have it’s essence reach out to grasp and imprison a being, whether that be a monster or spirit. Such beings are rendered into a strange immaterial smoke and sealed within the vessel. Once captured all they can do is converse with those touching the lamp, or when called out to speak by those who wield it. They cannot raise any powers or abilities in this state regardless of their nature, only able to speak with others. A bargain my be struck with the wielder of the lamp for service in return for freedom, which the being must uphold fully to the intended spirit of the deal. Once completed the being is freed, and may not seek retribution for a year and a day after their release. Although a more cunning wielder might be able to strike deals that completely absolve their wrath. Beings that are not intelligent enough to bargain with may instead be forced to perform three services for the wielder, at which point they are freed and are bound again to leave the user alone for a year and a day. Trapping a being requires a contest of wills and occult strength. Beings such as gods have little to fear from all but those who would already be their peers.

The Eye of Set (600cp, Discount Sorcerer/Sorceress): A gleaming emerald jewel said to be shed by the serpent god himself. This is no mere jewel however, for it is a focus of incredible arcane power. It may be used for any mystical or arcane working, acting as the perfect channel and tool for any occult act and magnifying the power and magick up to tenfold. This alone is enough to set a conjurer of average skill head and shoulders above all but the greatest of his peers. With this even the greatest of workings is potentially within an occultist’s grasp. They need only strive to make it so.

Companions For all of one’s might and strength there is glory too in brotherhood and the weathering of hardship side-by-side. Maybe there are individuals who stand by your side still, having braved far-flung worlds and great dangers to find themselves heeding your call once again. Perhaps you have found those in this world whose hearts beat in tune with yours. Allies and friends whose bonds might withstand the test of eons. Do not face the tribulations of the world alone wanderer. It is a sad fate.

Brothers Old and New (100/200/300cp): This option allows you to either create or import a companion, with any origin from this jump for free and 400cp to spend on perks for every 100cp you spent on this option. They may purchase gear as well but in that case it will indeed belong to them, and will offer you no benefit. Even an object might choose to only obey it’s rightful master. This option may be taken multiple times to import or create additional companions.

A Host of Legend (300cp): You may import up to eight prior companions into any origin from this jump for free and they each gain 800cp to spend. It otherwise functions just like Brothers Old and New above. You’ve stood with many in your time. Do not let their names remain unheard.

A Devoted Host (300cp): Perhaps they are warriors sworn to your service til the end of time, thieves who join you in the shadows, or perhaps fanatical zealots who worship the power you wield. Regardless you have a host of forty individuals who are completely and utterly devoted to you in whatever manner you so choose. Their exact nature is free for you to determine. Regardless they will not be any more powerful than an elite warrior from this land, or perhaps an arcanist with a handful of tricks and enough skill to aid in your own workings. Their strength instead comes from their absolute service to your will. They take up a single companion slot, and if imported any abilities gained will be spread among them in a weaker form. Nevertheless, you will not lack for servants to carry out your will. A wise man knows that a loyal heart can be worth much indeed.

Drawbacks The world is already filled with dangers, but perhaps you seek to reap even more rewards than just what your labors might earn you. Fate is ever willing to indulge those who submit themselves to it’s whims. You may earn up to an additional 1000cp from drawbacks, anything over this amount will be wasted, but do not let me stop you from truly testing yourself should you choose to do so.

A Selfish World (+100cp): Mankind has ever been a selfish race, yet neither can it be said they do not have their virtues. It looks like you will constantly be beset by people who only seek to serve their own gain over anything else. This will potentially cause you a great deal of trouble, but a cynical man might say that it is little different than what you would have found anyway. We shall see.

A Cruel World (+100cp): Raiders seem more common, beasts more aggressive, and blood seemingly more cheap. Life has gotten harsher. Expect most roads to carry an ambush or two for any wanderer, most dens to contain hungry beasts, and people to be quicker to anger and less caring than they might otherwise be.

A Weak Heart (+100cp): Perhaps your courage doesn’t burn as hot as it should, perhaps you lack in daring. But it seems that your heart seems more stymied by the faults that mankind all too often suffers from. With a strong will you can push past this to carry the day, or to pull yourself from the weary existence of merely trying to survive. But it will be a constant effort.

The Only Thing You Keep (+100cp): Of what do all men dream? The feel of a jeweled throne on their back, the weight of gold and gems slipping through their fingers, and a thousand more material and temporal prizes that they might win from the world. But these are fickle things, here one day and gone the next, and you shall learn this well. You shall not lay claim to such things in your time here, and when you do they shall be temporary at best. While you still might win a prize of gold and silver it shall abide you comfort, supply, and relaxation, not the wealth of lords and kings. Thrones shall not be rewarded to you, even if the masses roar with adulation while brave men kneel in respect to what you have done. It shall be interesting to see wanderer which it is that truly has meaning to you. The fleeting glories of the material, or those of spirit, character, and deed.

The Nail That Sticks Up (+200cp): You are hardly a common man Jumper. This seems to be to your detriment. Greedy nobles, proud and brutish warriors, scheming merchants, and more all seem to notice you as a pawn, rival, or something else that is sure to bring strife and conflict into your life. Perhaps it is jealousy, or merely a desire to do away with those who might be able to compete. Regardless you will not have the pleasure of going unnoticed. Everyone will try to ensnare you in one web or another.

Branded and Shamed (+200cp): Perhaps to mark you as a slave, a criminal, or something worse a brand has been placed upon your body. This mark is sure to attract disdain and trouble for you unless it is hidden. For all the uninhibited freedom this lands offer it too has it’s pariahs. Now you are one of them. Hide it well jumper, for the marked are quick to face more than simply scorn from the peoples of this land.

Tarnished In Spirit (+200cp): There are plenty of men of ill character in this world, and violence and vice flow aplenty in this land. Nevertheless most heroes possess some strength of character or nobility of heart that sets them apart from the common brutes and masses. You however do not. Perhaps you are decadent and selfish, seeking only to please your senses and indulge yourself in wine and the feel of a warm bed. Perhaps you are a brute and a bully, using violence and pain indiscriminately to get your way. Perhaps you are greedy beyond reason and would pilfer the last copper from an orphan’s sleeping fingers. Or perhaps you heap blasphemies upon one another to wrest ever more power from foul patrons. Regardless you are a disgraceful existence. Craven in character and foul at heart.

To Live In Interesting Times (+200cp): Such has been a curse in the eyes of many of the wise. While perhaps before man might have seen fit to draw you into the web of their ambitions now it is fate itself whose eyes rest upon you. You are the lever, the catalyst, the turning point of fate. Whether you wish it or not your actions or lack thereof will decide the course of nations, the pulse of civilization, the path of countless lives. Not for you is the safety of a quiet life. From the frenzied struggle of wars to the alignment of stars and their strange influences, short indeed will be the times of calm, peace, and the humble pleasures of a gentle routine. So many fates now weigh upon your shoulders. To which direction might you tip the scales, whether inadvertently or through intention? When your every step might shake the world, one must walk with care wanderer. Shall the weight of the world grind you to dust?

The Plaything of Your Betters (+300cp): The distant and mercurial gods of these lands seem to find you interesting. They will mercilessly beset you with trials, demands, and much worse to either serve their own ends or to relieve their boredom. Storms and ill omens will plague you, and no day will be safe from their cruel attentions. What will you do to survive this Jumper? Can a man truly thwart the designs of gods?

A Stolen Mantle (+300cp): Your entrance into this world was not unnoticed. Some arcanist saw the portents of your coming and worked rituals even as you were beginning your journey. Now your might, your power, your abilities, all belong to them. They need time for the full scope of your powers to mature and adapt to their new vessel. Perhaps if you are swift you can undo their designs and wrest what is rightfully yours from their corpse.

Tattered Veil (+300cp): Strange and alien things lurk beneath the common sense world of men, and the veil is ever weaker than we might have hoped. Horrid things reach from beyond the stars, foul squamous creatures lurk in caverns and dance in obscene rituals. Coastal villages mate with sons of a slumbering ocean terror to give birth to hybrid abominations. Perhaps you might take comfort that mankind is made of sterner stuff in this age. Perhaps in some far flung future they might be fragile in mind and heart enough to be driven mad at the barest glimpse of such things, but not now. The world is darker, uncaring, and far more dangerous. Be careful Jumper, lest you be dragged screaming forever into the alien dark.

The Root of All Stories (+300cp): Before you found your way here wanderer did you hear tales of a Cimmerian who came to trample the jeweled thrones of the Earth beneath his sandaled feet. Or perhaps of long lost Melnibone and the last survivor of that damned empire. So many tales sat on shelves within your reach once upon a time. It is time you take your place among them. During your stay here you must forge a legend that will eclipse all others that might exist in this land. Among gods, sorcerers, warrior-kings and the swift foots of thieves your name must be spoken of as the first among all. Succeed and your journey shall continue onto whatever greater glories might await you in worlds beyond reckoning. Fail and you shall return to the place of your birth with naught but what you have already accomplished. Go forth wanderer. Tread where even the gods may fear, face that which heroes quake in terror of with courage in your breast. Carve your name into the very heart of this world. Seize the greatness you have scarcely dared to dream of.

Ending All great tales must end, and now this chapter has closed. You have yet another choice to make. Where shall your road lead you?

Turn Back (Home): Eventually one might be sated, having had their fill of what the horizon has to offer. You may return home to your loved ones and the place of your beginning with everything you have gained and experienced. The memory of your story will live on forever Jumper, that I promise you.

Right of Conquest (Stay): You have eked out a place here, and perhaps you have chosen not to leave. Regardless you keep everything you’ve gained, and may live out the remainder of your time here in all the glory you have earned. Upon death you will ascend to be a god of this realm, and may yet shape it further to your will. Goodbye Jumper.

The Tale Lives On (Move on): A thousand horizons unfold upon worlds innumerable. Why would you stop when there is yet still glory to be found. You continue on to the next world Jumper, and together we’ll see what roads you will walk in the times to come.